Coming in Glory

 

[Jesus said] “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25-28 ESV).

 

There are very few serious Christian theologians that would deny the promise of Jesus to come again. The greater question has always been “when?” As our reading points to, Jesus plainly declares that He will come again to the Earth with many “signs” pointing to the event. It has always been a point of debate among students of the Scripture concern when it would happen and what it would look like. Even among the current population in America, more than one third believe that recent events point to the imminent return of Jesus.

 

The full context of our reading today is one of the passages that connect Jesus’ second coming with natural disasters, global pandemics, wars and political conflicts. It is certainly a riveting portrayal of the end times. And, if ever there was a time when we might be convinced that the clock of human history is about to strike midnight and the close of that time, this certainly feels like it. However, there is a caution I would encourage you with as you listen to so many voices proclaiming with certainty that this must be it: No one can KNOW the time of the coming. In fact, I would say when someone says this is the day, you can be sure this is not the day. Jesus said it would be unpredictable and surprising, “… like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2).

 

Well, what should we do? First, be alert and expectant. While we cannot know the day or the time, we can know the One who is in control of that time. Our Heavenly Father will send His beloved Son on time. Second, do not be anxious or fearful. Jesus says these things are happening to remind us that “our redemption is drawing near” (v. 28). It just means we are getting closer to the final act of our God to set all things right, restoring ultimate peace and final redemption. And, third, pray. Pray for all those who are suffering through the great calamities of our current world. Whether the end is near or not, the pain and suffering at the hands of such horrible events as we are seeing unfold before our eyes is real. It is a time of great trial. Pray for Jesus’ glorious return and the comfort of all those suffering so deeply.

 

The Shpherd's Psalm (Pt. 8)

 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:5-6 ESV).

 

We have come to the close of our brief look at one of the most soul-soothing passages in all the Bible, David triumphantly announced, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (v. 6). Being in God’s presence meant everything to David. Even though he could not be said to have been a perfect man, he was “a man after God’s own heart” (cf. Acts 13:22). When David faced the death of his first born son by Bathsheba he took solace from the fact that he believed he shared such a close relationship with the Lord and he could picture himself as a permanent resident in God’s house where he knew that his son lived in eternity. Because death held the promise of eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom, David looked forward to the intimate and never-ending fellowship of dwelling in the house of the Lord forever.

We should dig a bit deeper for our own encouragement and strengthening. The word dwell (v. 6) means “to inhabit or live.” The house of the Lord is a term often referring to the tabernacle, the temple, or the place of worship (cf. Psalm 122:1); however, in our reading the phrase speaks explicitly of “a dwelling house, palace, or local residence of a deity.”

The presence of God is the believer’s true home (cf. Psalm 42:1-4). Like David, the apostle Paul was sure that nothing in this life, not even death itself, could separate him from the loving presence of God (cf. Romans 8:38-39). Charles Spurgeon explains it like this:

 

“While I am here I will be a child alone with my God; the whole world will be His house to me; and when I ascend unto the upper chamber I shall not change my company, nor even change the house. I shall only go to dwell in the upper story of the house of the Lord forever.”

 

Before the beginning, during the present, and long after the ending, God IS! That is the truth that holds this declaration as a beacon of hope and encouragement to us. When it seems as if we have nowhere and no one to turn to in our calamity, God is there leading us home to forever dwell!

 

The Shepherd's Psalm (Pt. 7)

 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:5-6 ESV).

 

The next descriptive phrase David uses is taken from his experience as a shepherd: “… surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (v. 6). I have pictured this in my mind many times. If the shepherd leads the sheep, they would be vulnerable from an attack in the rear; or, they may even wander away and become lost even more easily. The Good Shepherd, being wise and knowing the nature of his flock prevents that with the use of two marvelous sheepdogs: “goodness” and “mercy.”

While we are never promised a path that is easy, we are protected and secured by the ever present goodness and mercy of God.

 

I’ve had enough health problems to recognize how utterly out of control life can get at times. In my last experience I was shown to a “pre-op cubicle” where various nurses, technicians, and doctors came in and out telling me what was going to happen, taking vital signs and readings, and getting me ready for the actual procedure. I had absolutely no control over any of that. Some of it was embarrassing; those hospital gowns are not meant to be runway worthy. And, of course there was the inevitable “little pinch” of the IV needles being placed. Fortunately I have good veins and a high tolerance for pain. The sticks were not terrible. The hard part for me was not knowing what they would find and if it could be fixed. However, what I did have was the perfect Shepherd and two great sheepdogs keeping me on the perfect path to where I needed to be at the end of it all.

 

The goodness of God is that part of His character that means his children are all spared any of the possibility of a bad ending. The mercy of God is that part of His character that determines precisely what is best for His children to bring good into their lives. That goodness and mercy is never absent. It is always on watch that we may never need to be anxious about the final destination of our journey. I can’t imagine facing life without that knowledge. I hope you have come to reach the same conclusion in your journey. God doesn’t just “know” what will happen; He leads and directs it for our good!

 

 

The Shepherd's Psalm (Pt. 6)

 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:5-6 ESV).

 

Continuing with the last two verses of the Shepherd’s Psalm, David says, “…you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (v. 5). The Scripture is full of references to “oil.” In fact, there are nearly two hundred references that speak of oil to light lamps, oil to soothe dry skin, oil to honor guests, oil to mark a sacred place, oil to solemnize a commitment, oil to entice, oil to comfort, oil to consecrate, oil to heal, oil to anoint priests, prophets, and kings, oil to prepare a body for burial. To the ancient Israelites, prayer smelled like frankincense, balsamic, resinous, and piney, which was said to be especially sweet to God’s senses and thus continuously burned in the temple. Royalty smelled like myrrh, warm, pungent, and woody. There was also an oil used in burial and to celebrate weddings. Wealth smelled like thick, aromatic spikenard, temple sacrifice like hyssop and cedar. For anointing, the prophets employed olive oil, perhaps with a touch of sweet cassia. To be anointed with oil was to be chosen, consecrated, and commissioned for a holy task. Messiah, or Christ, means “Anointed One.”

 

The Israelites also knew the healing properties of oils, which were applied to wounds and ingested as medicine. When James instructs the early church to anoint the sick with oil and to lay their hands on the sick and pray, the prescription is both practical and spiritually significant. Our journey is filled with trial and suffering. It is a path Jesus knew intimately. He also knows our healing may come through medicine, through prayer, through presence and scent and calming touch, or through the consecrating of the journey as holy, dignified, and not without purpose or grace. There is nothing “magic” about oil. However, it is a reminder that our Heavenly Father has purpose for everything we experience. We are “anointed” to it and protected in it, being delivered to our eternal joy.

 

Notice the last of this promise as well: “… our cup overflows.” Our Shepherd is not stingy with His healing. It is overflowing, more than enough, and, ever available. Now that makes me sing even in the darkest of nights!

 

The Shepherd's Psalm (Pt. 5)

 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:5-6 ESV).

 

Our reading today as we continue in the Shepherd’s Psalm is taken from the last two verses of this wonderful hymn. While we will not finish all of the content today, it may be the most encouraging of all the declarations David has made. Remember Psalm 23 is one of the most prolific poems of the Bible, familiar to many outside the Judeo-Christian tent. It’s a poem of reassurance, inviting us to join David as he rests in the comfort and guidance of God. The principle declaration is that we are not alone in our journey. And not only will God guide and protect you, but God will flaunt your bounty in front of your foes!

 

The Prophet Isaiah sees this victory and says:

 

For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. (Isaiah 9:4-5 ESV).

 

The God who empowers us to walk without fear in the valley of the shadow of death is the One who leads us there in the first place. The Spirit that hovered over the waters of the Jordan and revealed Jesus’ identity as the Beloved is the same Spirit who leads him into the wilderness to be tested. The Jesus who stands atop the mountain transfigured is the same Jesus who descends willingly to the dead. This God is the one who sets a banquet and sends the servants into the streets to fill open seats (cf. Matthew 22:9). This Jesus is the one who shares a table with tax collectors, outcasts, and the unclean.

 

We need to be careful to see the table as inclusive. This table is long and broad, groaning under the weight of the feast it holds. Chairs and benches extend in either direction, as far as the eye can see. It is a show of God’s provision and abundance, and of God’s boundless grace toward even those whom we consider to be our enemies. I’m still enough of a simpleton to take God at His word. This image is literal. Our real enemies – the world, the flesh, and the devil – will all be left to gaze on our bounty and be rendered helpless to stop our celebration. All of the pain, trial, and persecution will fade into nothing more than a distant shadow of a memory. That’s what we have as our absolute hope!

The Shepherd's Psalm (Pt. 4)

 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4 ESV).

 

Yesterday I mentioned the basis from which we can take every trial and uncertainty in our journey and face it without fear. Today, we see the second reason we need to see the tools of our Good Shepherd which bring us protection and security from any evil we may encounter. The psalmist, David, says, “… your rod and staff, they comfort me.” While there has been some confusion about the use of these two pieces of the shepherd’s ensemble, we cannot miss the intent. Jesus, as our ultimate Good Shepherd only uses them for our comfort. Even when the way ahead of us looks dark, foreboding, and menacing, we need not fear. It is the One who sits on the throne of all creation who walks with us, leading us through every battle to the greatest victory that the mind of man could imagine (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9).

 

So, let’s look at each of these. First, Jesus carries “the rod.” For the people in the time of the writing of the psalm it would have been an easy metaphor to both visualize and understand. Shepherd’s were very common along the rolling hills and valleys of Jerusalem. The rod was a short wooden club used to defend the flock from thieves and predators. It was never used on the sheep as some have suggested. The shepherd would stand battling any and all who would threaten the safety of the flock. Jesus has done this for us, ultimately bringing defeat to our greatest enemy. Listen to the Apostle Paul as he describes the work of Jesus in the cross and resurrection:

 

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (Ephesians 4:7-8 ESV).

 

Satan and death itself is nothing but a captive in the hands of Jesus. They have no power over the believer. The psalmist also mentions “the staff.” This is the familiar long pole with the double crook on the end so often shown in the artwork of the representation of the Good Shepherd through the centuries. The staff was long enough to reach any trapped lamb, placing the crook under it and pulling it to safety, even after it may have wandered off the path. Even when we make decisions that are destructive, Jesus doesn’t stand idly by arms crossed in disdain, waiting for us to somehow rescue ourselves. He reaches us with His staff and pulls us back to the safe path leading to eternal life. That’s our Good Shepherd… trust Him!

The Shepherd's Psalm (Pt. 3)

 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4 ESV).

 

Continuing in our look in the Shepherd’s Psalm we come to the fourth verse, which is our reading today. It is unusual for me to use just one verse as the basis for the devotional; however, this verse is so full of encouragement and meaning we must not rush through it simply to “finish” the psalm. Of course the ultimate enemy in our lives is the certainty of death. We don’t like to talk about it often, much less think about it. It is as if we simply ignore the steady decline of our bodies that will somehow stall the final act of these present bodies.

 

Even when loved ones and dear friends die, we somehow manage to deflect our own personal fear and anxiety about that moment. However, the truth remains. We will all face this inevitability unless Jesus comes before our passing. So the great question is what our assurance is as we face the inescapable. David answers in our psalm… it is Jesus, our ever present Good Shepherd. He will walk us through, guiding, protecting, and comforting us in our journey. And, as the children of God, this promise is merely intensified because of the grace extended to us in Jesus. He has already taken that walk ahead of us so that our walk through death’s valley doesn’t end in death, but in glory.

 

David goes on to declare two other incredible truths. First, he says, “I will fear no evil.” It is reminiscent of the Apostle Paul’s last verses in the eighth chapter of his letter to the Romans:

 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:35-37 ESV).

 

We could spend days unpacking and pondering this declaration. Suffice it to say the apostle sees us as much more the mere sheep. We are conquerors! I know that in the midst of the difficulties of our journeys we often don’t feel like the victors; however, we are. We have been so declared by the work of Christ, who has already won the final battle of life over death.